


Barry Allen, The Flash

by CheerfullyCynical



Series: Barry Allen, The Flash [1]
Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: 02x06, Barry doesn't die, Episode: s02e06 Enter Zoom, Everyone Gets a Viewpoint, Hurt, Hurt / Comfort or maybe just hurt, Hurt Barry, Hurt No Comfort, I promise, No Comfort Yet, Not a character death, Points of View, Sad, Seriously feel bad for Barry, The Flash Season 2 Episode 6
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-04
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-28 23:26:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8466982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheerfullyCynical/pseuds/CheerfullyCynical
Summary: Barry Allen was The Flash. Sometimes… Sometimes The Flash doesn’t win. Spin off of Season 2 Episode 6: Enter Zoom. In other words, a very sad reveal fic.
"Because, at this point, what was Cisco without The Flash?"..."What was the point of David Singh's job if he couldn’t save Barry Allen?"..."What was the world without The Flash?" For Patty..."What was Iris without her family?"..."What was the world without a hero?" For Harry..."What was Barry Allen without The Flash?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, for once (instead of Barry), I effed up the timeline. Since I watched season 2 in one day, I forgot that Linda and Barry were a thing (idk what season that was! I’m terrible). I could be wrong, but I’m preettyy sure Patty and Barry were a thing by this episode??? But if I’m wrong, sorry, in this story, Patty and Barry are in that ‘are we dating or what?’ stage.

 

He could feel many things in that moment.

For one, Zoom’s fingers were around his neck, painfully cutting off just about all breathing; ‘just about’ leaving enough for him to stay conscious. He could see, hear, and feel everything going on around him.

At that moment, that was not something he wanted.

Another feeling was one where everyone’s eyes were on him. That was something new. With his speed, he almost never felt anyone eyes on him, thanks to him being faster than the speed of light. Right now, he could have sworn he felt the world watching him.

Watching him… _Him._ He used to be a nobody; He was the weird kid that saw his mother murdered in front of him by his father. He was _Barry Allen;_ the odd nerd who loves science a little too much.

Now he was The Flash.

He would have traded anything to be just Barry Allen again.

He finally opened his eyes to see… The precinct? It was. Every cop he had ever known saw The Flash in Zoom’s mercy. Joe was first in line, gun trained on Zoom.

“The days of The Flash protecting this city are over.” Zoom lifted him up more, shaking him, causing him to grunt in pain. “Now what will you do without your precious hero?”

“Shoot that thing!”

Barry could hear each shot, but he knew that Zoom could easily stop them. There was no chance of stopping him. Bullets would do nothing.

“Perhaps it’s time to reveal who your _hero_ is.”

They were back in the Speed Force, but Barry had no hope of controlling it right now. The only mercy was that he was used to the speed. Zoom forced him on his knees in front of Joe.

“Remove the mask.”

No. No this couldn’t be happening. Joe shouldn’t be forced into this mess. He couldn’t let Joe be hurt. He couldn’t. He had to save him. He had to-

He could feel the Speed Force gather inside of him. The lightning flickered in his eyes.

With a cry, he forced himself out of Zoom’s grip and ran behind him, punching him as hard as he could. The hit must have surprised him, because he was forced to use his speed in order to face Barry. The punch had distracted him, but it did nothing to hurt him.

Zoom laughed, a chilling sound that echoed around the room. “An admiral attempt, but I have one advantage.”

Barry shook his head, lips in a straight line. Everything was one fire. He didn’t know how long he could stand.

“I have no family.”

And then, in that moment, he knew that he was powerless.

Zoom grabbed a gun from one of the detectives.

_Bang!_

The bullet was forced through Joe’s stomach. He could see Joe’s expression clearly. Pain, sadness, shock… Everything. And when Joe looked at him, he could have sworn that he saw every single one of Joe’s smiles: of Joe teaching him how to be a kid; how to live a normal life.

“ _No!”_ He yelled, falling to his knees and hugging Joe close, putting his hand on the wound, almost through his stomach.

“Joe! Please, Joe! Stay with me. Stay with me!” He could feel the tears slip down his masks. And suddenly it was too much. He had to see Joe. He was suffocating under the mask. He shoved the thing off his face and cradled Joe’s face in his hand, the tears falling on his shirt.

“Do not cross me again, _Barry Allen.”_ Zoom was behind him once more, his hand constricting on his neck. Barry could do nothing but choke. Suddenly, Zoom’s fingers in forced through his chest, causing him to let out a scream of agony.

And with that, Zoom was gone in a flash of blue lightning.

Ignoring the pain, he pushed himself off and rushed to Joe.

“Oh god,” He said, putting his hands once again on his stomach. “Oh god, please, please I can’t. I can’t lose you too Joe.”

“Barry.”

No, he didn’t hear the voice. He had only thoughts of Joe. With another grunt of pain, he lifted Joe into his arms. And then fell, his legs collapsing beneath him. He couldn’t use the Speed Force. He got up once again, refusing to let Joe die.

“Barry!”

It was Patty. It was everyone. Every single cop in the city knew who he was now. He didn’t care.

“Please, Patty,” He begged, looking up at her. She had tears in her eyes, but Barry couldn’t bring himself to care. “He has to go to S.T.A.R. Labs. I can’t-I can’t.” He looked once again at the blood on the floor, knowing that it was Joe’s life on the line.

And then there was yelling. Everyone burst into action.

“Get him in a car!”

“Grab Allen! He needs treatment!”

“-Hospital?”

“Didn’t you hear the kid! S.T.A.R. Labs!”

“Move, move, move!”

And then someone was lifting him up from the ground, away from Joe, away from everything. “No!” He yelled, but he was too weak to do anything else. He could see Joe also being lifted. They were both put onto stretchers.

The pain was too much; moving him was too much. All he could do was move his eyes, and they strained to follow Joe.

Then they were in a car, Joe was lying next to him, his eyes closed. Was he dead? No, he couldn’t be. People were moving him, placing a mask over Joe and talking in loud, rapid voices; voices that Barry couldn’t make sense of.

“Iris.” Barry whispered hoarsely, realizing that she had no idea Joe was hurt. God, he was the reason Joe was hurt.

“I’ll call her, Barr.” Patty whispered in his ear. He could feel her hand in his. “It’s going to be okay. We’re almost there.”

And then they were moving again. His feet were dragging helplessly, Patty and another cop helped him while Joe was carried. Realizing where he was, he tried to force himself to make his legs take his body weight, but wasn’t as nearly successful as he had hoped. The only thing he could do was stay awake. He had to stay strong for Joe.

“Caitlin!” Barry screamed as soon as he was near the medical lab.

“Barry!” Cisco answered, rushing over to him and helping Patty move him to the hospital bed.

“Joe.” Barry said, refusing to lay down on the bed. Cisco had tears in his eyes. Did he look that bad? He felt that bad. “Joe’s hurt.”

“I know, Barry. Caitlin’s-”

And then Joe was wheeled in, Caitlin and Harry in tow. “We’re losing him!” Caitlin said, digging around in Joe’s chest. God, there was blood everywhere. “I can’t get the bullet out!” Caitlin cried.

“There has to be something-”

“Barry!” Caitlin interrupted Patty. Barry’ vision swam (why was it so hard to breathe?), but he forced himself to focus on Caitlin.

Barry was unable to get up from the bed, but he forced Patty to hold him up in front of Joe. “Tell me what to do.” He told Caitlin, only looking a Joe’s face.  

“Okay-okay,” Caitlin was near panicking, but Barry also knew she did her best work on pressure. “P-phrasing! Phrase through his chest and get the bullet out.”  

Not thinking, he started to let the Speed Force through his hand, but was shocked to find that he wasn’t moving fast enough. Oh god, the motion - the actual movement of his wrist hurt, meaning that it was broken. The pain reached its peak, causing Captain Singh to catch him (much to his surprise).

Caitlin was biting her lip, watching the heart monitor with calculating eyes. Against his will, Barry was forced to lay on the medical bed. Suddenly, the heart monitor gave a shrill cry, meaning something Barry had no control over to fix.

Completing ignoring the hands that were trying to force him onto the bed, he forced himself once more into a sitting position and tried phrasing his other arm, only to find out that two of his fingers were broken. His ignored the pain, and quickly forced his hand into Joe and felt for the metal. He rushed to pull it out.

“I got it.” He told Caitlin, who was looking at him with a mix of sadness and alarm.

And that look was the last thing he saw.

Then…

**Black.**

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

“Caitlin!” Cisco was almost not fast enough to catch his best friend before he fell. If the situation wasn’t so serious, he would have been all over the fast joke, but right now it felt like his very own heart was beating a mile a minute; almost ready to leap out of chest.

Caitlin _growled._ The sound was so out of character for her that Cisco nearly lost his grip, to the point where Captain Singh helped carry Barry to the bed.

And then, of course, the alarm from Barry suit went off. Barry’s heart had stopped.

Someone was talking – practically yelling – behind him, but he couldn’t hear them. (“ _CPR! Cisco! Cisco!”)_ All he saw was the blood on his best friend’s face. It was everywhere; his face, his chest, his leg… It looked like Barry Allen, _The Flash,_ was dead.

Then someone violently pushed him out of the way. He fell to the ground harshly, his hands just in time to stop his head from slamming into the ground. When he looked back up, Captain Singh was on top of Barry, doing chest compressions.

Closing his eyes, Cisco pray to every god, divine entity he knew of that Barry Allen was going to survive.

Because, at this point, what was Cisco without The Flash?

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Captain David Singh could not imagine that the worst thing he would ever do in his job would be saving his life. Sure, he wasn’t delusional. He knew that he was going to eventually put his medical knowledge to use in the field. Hell, he had done it many times in his career, but… But he always thought that the worst part of his job would be looking criminals in the eye.

No, it was the feeling of uselessly pushing on a fellow officer’s chest, hoping that his efforts weren’t going to be in vain.

But nothing was worse than forcing himself to press harder and harder on Barry Allen’s chest.

The kid (damn, _kid._ He was so young _)_ looked like hell. Throughout all his years, he had never seen someone look so beat up.

Barry Allen. He had practically seen the kid grow up. After the gruesome death of his mother, and his father being blamed for it all, he had seen the kid begin his transition into Joe’s life. There was always something going on with Allen. The kid was bullied mercilessly for what happened with his parents. Not to mention Allen was the biggest nerd David had seen in his entire life.

But, even with the kid never showing up on time, he had to admit that the kid had grown into a fantastic young man, and he could never bring himself to fire someone that was that _good._ David could never let the kid go; he was practically his nephew.

He cared for Barry Allen.

As soon as he had seen The Flash react to Joe’s injury, he knew that it was him. He could think of no one else that would cry for Joe like that.

And, suddenly, it made sense why Allen was always late. And he instantly found that his respect for Barry Allen went up tenfold.

And then, the entire precinct decided to help their Forensic Scientist, even when it meant going against the law. 

“Get him in a car!” He had yelled, already at Joe’s side, trying to ignore the sound of the kid’s cries. Joe needed medical attention, so did The- No, Barry. Barry needed help. They had to go to S.T.A.R. Labs.

And that’s how he found himself now; pressing harshly on the hero’s chest, hoping with every fiber of his being that Barry Allen would make it.

What was the point of his job if he couldn’t save Barry Allen?

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Patty left the room as soon as Captain Singh began chest compressions on-on…

On Barry Allen, her… Very close friend that was constantly late. Who canceled their dates almost every other day… Who was _The Flash._

Who was a hero that was currently dead, Detective West right behind him.

How could she have been so stupid? She was supposed to be good at seeing details and putting them together. If she wasn’t so trusting, she would have at least _googled_ Barry Allen’s name.

And then she remembered the one promise she had made to Barry; Call Iris. With a shaky hand, she got out her phone from her pocket and dialed the number.

When Iris didn’t answer, she felt tears rush to her eyes.

“I-” She coughed, trying to get her voice uncontrol. “Iris. You need to come to S.T.A.R. Labs right away. Barry,” She bit her lip, drawing blood. “Barry and Joe are h-hurt.”

Deed done, she ended the voicemail and found herself sinking down to the ground, her emotions everywhere.

Her not-boyfriend was The Flash; The Flash that just got his butt handed to him by a new Speedster that was after his blood. The Flash, once her hope, was reduced to her awkward-perfect not-boyfriend; one that was now _dead._

She leaned her head against the wall behind her and willed her tears away.

What was the world without The Flash?

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Iris, unknown to Patty, was already racing towards S.T.A.R. Labs, her car going way past the speed limit. For once, she wished that her life was different. She used to be content with her job at Jitters. She was content with Barry’s awkwardness filling her home. She was content with Eddie.

Now, she was nowhere near content. She was constantly worried for her adoptive brother, and that was on top of constantly worrying about her dad’s life. She had to be on constant alert; making sure that Barry was okay, while making sure her dad was okay, while making sure to stay up all night to _help_ the two most important people in her life.

The sudden appearance of a red light had her foot slamming on the gas, nearly making it to sixty miles per hour on a _residential_ street. She had never anything so reckless in her entire life.

No, that wasn’t right either. The definition of reckless was no longer in the same bounds of ‘normal’ people. The reckless thing she had ever done was punch Tony in the face after _The Flash_ had done; it was being next to a lying Harrison Wells, knowing that he could kill her in a second.

Her life had changed…

But, in this moment, she would have given anything to change it back.

When she arrived at S.T.A.R. Labs, she was shocked to see _police lights_ outside of the building. She recognized nearly everyone, and they recognized her, but they said nothing, only continued to look ahead.

Heart beating harshly in her chest, she began to run into S.T.A.R. Labs, her heels echoing down the hallway to the Cortex.

The first thing she spotted was a crying Patty.

“Iris!” The usually vibrant cop was slowly climbing herself to her feet. “God, I’m-”

“Where are they?” The words sounded harsh, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t care. This was her family. She needed to know.

Patty didn’t say anything. With her lips pressed into a line, she moved her head and looked to the right of her, where Iris knew the medical equipment was. Heart now so loud she couldn’t hear anything, she moved sluggishly to the area.

When she spotted them, she couldn’t stop a gasp escaping from her.

Barry looked worse than what she had seen at the news room. He was paler than he had even been, and it was as if Barry was a different shade of _human._ The right side of his face was a deep purple, his chest the same. He was _covered_ in blood, some of it from a wound near his collarbone. His hand was twisted awkwardly.

Tears rushed to her eyes and it took everything in her not to collapse on the ground.

Then her eyes went to the second person in a hospital bed. Legs moving without her own accord, she nearly flung herself at her father – ready to attempt _anything_ to wake up.

Only to be stopped by _Harrison Wells._ The Harrison Wells that had pushed Barry to go after Zoom. The Harrison Wells that had let the closest people in her life get _hurt._

With a furious cry, she rotated around to look at him… And slammed her fist into the side of face, causing him to fall to the ground in heap. She was just about to step on him with her heel when yet another person’s arms were around her, forcing her to scream out in frustration.

“This all your fault!” She cursed, not even remotely caring that she looked like a mess. “You pushed Barry to fight him! _You’re_ the reason my dad is…” She couldn’t that train of thought. She finally couldn’t take any more. She fell into the arms of the person holding her.

What was she without her family?

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

He deserved it.

He, Harrison Wells, willing let Iris West punch him in the face, but _he deserved it._

Not only had he failed Barry, he had failed his daughter. Not only had he failed his daughter, he had wronged a family in his means to get his daughter back.

Disgusted with himself, and so _angry_ that both of them were unsuccessful in capturing Zoom _because that was the only way to get his daughter back. Barry Allen wasn’t strong enough and_ he should have been. It was his fault.

Shaking his head slightly, he forced himself to not do this. He couldn’t do this. He had to think of his daughter. Since he failed, he was going to go back to his Earth and _save her, because how else was he going to do it._

He was going to save her… Or die trying.

In his attempt to leave the room, Cisco Ramon spotted him and nearly sprinted after him. Not willing to get into another argument (or with another bruise somewhere else), he rushed out of the Cortex and into the hallway, only to be slammed into the wall just a little too harshly.

“Hey!” Ramon yelled, but he was as calm as Harry had ever seen him. “I know about you daughter, Harry.”

And then he remembered; the reason Ramon had been trying to touch him. Suddenly he had his hands on Ramon’s shoulders, pushing _him_ into the wall.

“Did you see her? Is she-” He wouldn’t dare finish that sentence. It couldn’t be true.

“She’s alive.” Cisco smiled. “She’s alive.”

He almost collapsed. His daughter was alive. There was actual proof that Zoom didn’t kill her. _She was live. Jesse was alive._

And not only had he ruined his only chance to get to her, he had ruined Barry’s chance of stopping Zoom.

He closed his eyes, frustrated by _everything._

What was the world without a hero?

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Barry woke up.

He realized that was miracle.

He then realized what had happened. Slowly (god so slowly that he was surprised he was moving at all) he turned his head. He could hardly make it out, but to the right of him a familiar shape laid in a very similar hospital bed. His ears told him that the heart monitor was beeping at a steady rate, meaning Joe was _alive_.

Relieved, he closed his eyes.

…

Moments later… He blinked his eyes… open… and saw… two people above him…

…

“Barry?” Caitlin. It was Caitlin. “Barry, can you hear me?”

“H-hey.” His throat was on fire. Everything hurt.

“You scared the crap out of us.” Cisco. God, Cisco was actually serious. How bad was it? Wait, what happened? “You were gone for a long time.”

Long time? No, months? Did he travel back in time? No, Zoom did this. Cisco couldn’t mean months. Days? He didn’t know. He didn’t care.

“Joe?” He asked, knowing that Joe was hurt; remembering his fear.

“He’s okay.” Caitlin replied, voice soft. Barry could feel tears well up in his eyes. Joe was okay. He got the bullet out. It was gonna be alright. “He’ll be up within a couple weeks.”

“How bad is it?” He asked, hesitant to move. It seemed he was hypersensitive to everything on his body, and _none_ of it felt okay.

“Bad.” Barry saw tears in Caitlin eyes. He wanted to reassure her – grab her hand – do something, but he didn’t have the energy. ““If you didn’t heal so quickly I’d be very worried.”

Barry remembered another thing. Someone who could have possibly gotten hurt. _His mistake._ “Linda?”

“She’s fine.” Cisco said, clearly relived that she was okay. They wouldn’t be Team Flash without their compacity to care. He loved that about them.

But Barry had one more question; a question he didn’t want the answer to, but needed to know the truth. “Zoom?” He couldn’t stop his voice from lowering.

Caitlin shook her head and turned away.

“Let’s worry about Zoom when you’re up and about.” Cisco placed a friendly tap on his leg.

Cisco placed a friendly tap on his leg.

-On his leg.

He couldn’t feel his legs.

No… _No._ It couldn’t be possible. It couldn’t be. Zoom can’t have been able to steal that much from him. There is no way. He forced himself to sit up, but Caitlin was quick to push him back down.

“I can’t feel my legs.” He told them, voice oddly calm for how he felt. “I can’t feel my legs.”

What was Barry Allen without The Flash?

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry Allen is in pain, Harry feels frustrated, and Singh just wants his forensic scientist and detective to get better.

Barry woke up in pain.

Again.

It had been three days since Zoom had attacked him; three days of constantly attempting to move his toes and of watching Joe’s chest rise and fall. Three days of ignoring the looks of pity from Caitlin, Cisco, and Iris. Three days of _staring_ at nothing and wondering…

Wondering if all of it was worth it; if he accomplished anything as The Flash. Wondering what he was without the suit… the Speed Force, the team.

It was eleven twenty-two AM. If he focused enough, it was eleven twenty-two for as long as he wanted it to be, but that did nothing to pass the time. Once again, he attempted to move his foot. He stared at it under the flimsy blanket; willed it to move _just a little,_ but it only caused him more frustration. With a loud sigh, he plopped his head back onto the pillow.

It was still eleven twenty-two.

“You gotta let yourself heal, Barr.”

Barry turned his head in order to look at Joe. This was the third time that Joe had said those exact words, in that exact tone. Barry would have liked to have the same drugs that Joe was on, but sometimes his speed wasn’t such a blessing.

But even with it being the third time, Barry smiled slightly at Joe, attempting to reassure him. “Hey, how are you feeling?”

“Like someone shot me.” It was said with a grunt, but Barry understood. Bullet wounds weren’t fun, and Joe didn’t have super healing in order to speed up the horrible process of healing.

Barry chuckled, more for the sake of keeping Joe happy.

“Caitlin!” Barry called, knowing that she was only in the next room.

Another pang of guilt hit him. Caitlin had gotten little to no sleep, and she steadfast refused to let anyone else take on the job of nursemaid. If he hadn’t convinced the others to go after Zoom, none of this would have happen.

Caitlin was there in a second, first turning her gaze to Barry. Barry made a quick head nod towards Joe. She understood instantly, for which he was grateful for.

“How’s the pain?” Caitlin asked Joe, walking over to one of the cabinets and taking a packet of morphine out.

“It’s not bad.” Joe replied, but even Barry could hear the lie. Joe nearly grunted out the sentence.

“Men.” It was the fifth time the statement was said by Caitlin, but Caitlin didn’t ask again. Without a word she attached the new bag of morphine and set it at a slow drip. “You’re looking good, Joe. Vitals are strong. You should make a full recovery in a month.”

Joe nodded, muttered a “thanks, Caitlin.” And was once again lost to the world of the living.

“Any chance you have four bags of those?” Barry asked, only half-jokingly. The pain was bad; bad enough to have him clutching at one of the bed rails every once in a while.

Caitlin winced, but she was quick to recover. “You would need at least six of them anyway, and even then it would only last for a few moments.”

“Bummer.” Barry gave Caitlin a tight smile. “It’s okay.”

Caitlin’s lips were drawn into a tight line. “The Captain sends his best wishes, along with the rest of the precinct.”

Barry nodded but felt his heart skip a beat. All of those people knowing his secret. He’s normal job was never going to be the same again. Would he be fired?

He forced himself out of those thoughts. He had to focus on the main problem right now. “How are you?”

Caitlin looked surprised. “I’m fine.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” He winced. He didn’t mean for it to be said with bitterness, but it was close it was edging the line between joking. “Let someone else take a shift.” He said quickly, trying to make up for his blunder.

“I’m okay.” Caitlin’s eyes were filled with tears. “I don’t need to sleep.”

He could hear it in her tone. _I_ can’t _sleep._ That was something Barry could relate to. “Caitlin,” Barry sighed. “Nothing’s going to happen in the next couple of hours. Go home, get some rest - _take a shower._ I got Harry here. He’s perfectly capable at changing Joe’s morphine bag.”

Caitlin looked frozen to the spot. Barry could almost see her thought process play out. “Two hours.” She said at last, nodding to herself. “Just two hours.”

Barry nodded with her. “I’m counting.” Barry replied, only half-joking. He could really count the minutes if he wanted to.

With one last nod (something between a goodbye and ‘I’m-convincing-myself-this-is-a-good-idea), she left with a soft “I’ll be back.”

Barry let his head fall back down on the pillow. “I know you will.” He whispered, just for something to _do._

The white tiles above him did not reply.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

Harrison Wells was _frustrated._ No, at this point, he was beyond frustration. He didn’t have a word for it, which was even more frustrating. He had been in the breach room for hours now, watching it; staring at it, seeing it _spin and spin and spin_ until he thought it stop spinning. With a growl, he took one of the screwdrivers on the table and flung it at the wall _just an inch_ from the breach.

The action seemed to give him _more_ of that energy. If anything, he wanted to destroy something. The very need to have something crushed in his hands was tearing him apart.

All he wanted was his daughter.

He wanted to hug her and never let her out of his sight again. He wanted to tell her she was alright. He wanted to tell her that nothing bad was every going to happen again.

And then, he realized with a certain clarity, that his so called energy was an infamous word:

_Guilt._ He felt as if he had failed his daughter. He had in all actuality. And he had failed another person as well:

Barry Allen; the boy that had treated him with guarded trust, even after all he had been through. Who was willing to do anything to help save his daughter…

Was sitting in a bed upstairs, paralyzed

He leaned heavily on the table, breathing in the guilt that he felt. He needed to help Barry. If Barry was his daughter… If Barry was his daughter… He would have been with her step by step; would have sat at her bedside and never let go of her hand. Would have protected her from any fears she would have.

He owed that to Barry. He owed some of his dedication to his recovery.

With a deep breath, he released his hold on the table and forced himself up, back to the Cortex, only to be stopped by Dr. Snow.

“Harry!” She exclaimed, looking exhausted. Had she been here as long as he had? “I-”

“Go.” He said, nodding at her. He had seen that exact expression of exhaustion on his own daughter’s face. “I’ll watch them.”

“I-” Caitlin bit her lip. “two min-hours. I’ll be back…Right-soon.”

Harry had once laughed at Jesse’s disjointed sentences ( _“Jesse, I can hear your sleep exhaustion from here. Finish whatever you’re working on tomorrow.”)_ , but now it only seemed to be a stab at his heart, seeing the same expression on someone else. “Go.” He demanded again, this time waving his hands at her.

With one last look of uncertainty, Caitlin turned and left, not looking back.

When he arrived at the medical… Center (what were they even calling it? Could it be as bad as the Cortex?), he had to force his feet to continue forward. Detective West was fast asleep. Barry Allen, on the other hand, looked ready to pull off a miracle and get up from the bed.

“Allen,” Harrison shuffled awkwardly when Allen turned his gaze toward him. “Bored?”

“Did you know that there are thirty-two tiles in this room – Thirty-four if you count the halves near the door?”

“You should be resting.” Barry’s tone had struck a chord in him. It was obvious that the young man was in pain and on the verge of – what he assumed – was another breakdown.

“Can’t sleep.” It was said quickly, obviously meant to be dismissive.

Harry nodded and let it pass. He wasn’t able to sleep either. “How about a game of chess?”

To his surprise, Barry let out a chuckle. Well, it was a cruel mock of laughter, but for now Harrison would take it. “The last time I played chess with Harrison Wells, I was playing table tennis and operation at the same time. _And_ Wells managed to kick my butt.”

It took him a moment to absorb all of that information. “Well, now that you have some extra time, I assume you’ll have a better chance.”

A flash of _something_ pasted over his features, but it was quick to be replaced with a small smile. “I have a feeling you’ll wipe the floor with me, but I’ll take anything over the ceiling tiles at this point.”

Without a word, Harrison grabbed the chessboard that he had spotted near one of the labs and quickly set it up. There was a moment where he hesitated, not even sure where he would put the board that Allen could reach without trouble, but eventually he used the hospital table and set it at Allen’s level.

Another moment passed. For what he understood, Allen was on strict orders not to disturb his back, which meant that it would be difficult for him to sit up and look at the board.

Allen realized that at the same moment he did. Face red, Allen point at the side of the bed and asked quickly if he could raise it up.

Another awkward moment passed… And they begun their game of chess.

At first, it was some-what comfortable silence, something that Harrison was appreciative of. However, as soon as he took one of Allen’s pawns, the kid smiled.

“You know, the first Wells did the exact same thing.”

It seemed that Allen was the only one capable of rendering him without words. What does one say about your imposter (who wasn’t even your imposter) having the same chess moves? He hummed in acknowledgment then replied: “Don’t get cocky, Mr. Allen.”

“Barry.”

Harrison looked away from the board and stared at the kid. There wasn’t a trace of a smile on the young man, but there was _something_ that Harrison couldn’t understand.

“Barry.” He relented, testing the name. It didn’t quite feel right, but he would let _Barry_ have this one.

Again, there was silence. The game went on, each side not relenting a single piece, causing it to become quite boring. Finally, Barry managed to snag one of his pawns. He expected the kid to wag it in his face – maybe comment something about him being slow – but instead he took the piece of the board and continued his silence.

“Nice move.” Harrison said for him, not smiling at him, but really _nodding_ in his direction.

He was just about to move another pawn when Barry sucked in a quick breath of air and bit his lip, clearly in pain.

“I’m alright.” He said immediately, clearing trying to convince himself.

“Are you?” He asked, deciding the best course of action was to move the chess board away. Barry didn’t seem to listening.

“Did you know, for me, it’s been twelve thirty for four minutes?” Barry shook his head, as if that was the worst fate in the world. “It’s like my body is trying to catch up with itself. The more time passes, the faster I heal.”

Harrison didn’t comprehend where the kid was going with this. “It’s… an interesting theory. Might even be correct.”

The kid nodded, slowly releasing the bed. “I’m sorry about your daughter.”

The conversation had taken a sharp turn in the wrong direction. He was blindsided. “Me too.” He replied, voice tight. The kid didn’t need another person crying next to him.

“We’ll get her back.” Harrison could see the moment Barry realized that _we_ no longer included him. His breath left his body, as if the weight of the world had finally come crashing down on his shoulders. “The team will get her back.”

And then, Harrison noticed something. A small movement under the Allen’s blanket. “ _You’ll_ get her back.”

It was the wrong thing to say. Like a switch had been flipped, Allen went from desolate to _angry._ “Me?” The kid laughed; something dark and self-destructive. “Yeah, Barry Allen – _the hero of Central City –_ with his useless legs, who can’t even protect his own step-dad. I’m sorry Harry, but I _can’t_ save your daughter.”

Harrison was never one for uplifting speeches. Even to his daughter, it was quick hug followed by fixing whatever had happened and moving forward. It was always about the next step and how to get there. So, he decided to simply place his hand on Allen’s ankle, and to wait.

At first, Allen looked ready to murder him. He gritted his teeth and looked ready to jumped up from the bed and attack him, but then he _felt_ his hand on his foot.

It took _long seconds_ for the kid to catch up with what he was feeling. Experimentally, Harrison squeezed his ankle a little harder, causing Barry to slowly move his foot away. From the looks of it, it looked extremely painful, but the action caused a large smile to appear on his face.

That smile was the only thing keeping Harry on Earth-1.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

It had been five hours since Barry had first felt something in his legs. At first, Harry was hesitant to let him do a _nything_ in his state, knowing that he was still healing. So, he had _wheeled_ (“No, you’re not going to attempt walking yet. End of story.”) Barry to the x-ray machine and came back with the results. 

He was eighty six percent healed. There were still some ways to go, but it hadn’t stopped the smile on Allen’s face.

So, after that news, the idiotic young man wanted to try walking… _immediately._

There was an argument, of course, from him, but the kid was even better at the puppy dog look than Jesse was, and he couldn’t say no to _trying._

He loaded the kid with carbs first, figuring that the more he ate, the more strength he would have.

He made him wait another hour (finishing their chess game) _hoping_ that someone was going to come through the Cortex doors and save him for helping Allen make stupid decisions; That Caitlin would show up or that even West would wake up. But no one walked through those doors.

So, after two hours of Allen’s puppy dog eyes, Harrison careful deposited the kid into a wheelchair once again, and put him in the cortex, a cane at the ready.

When Harrison finally stood in front of Barry, he felt his heart skip a beat. For a brief moment, he saw Jesse, her little legs wobbling so much that Harrison wanted to run to her side and pick her up, making sure that she didn’t fall. Her mother, however, stopped him with a firm arm on his chest.

Now, no one was holding him back, and he was quick to get in front of Allen, stopping him from getting up.

…And then found he had nothing to say. If he was in Barry’s position, he would have immediately gotten out of bed and _moved._ It was a miracle that Barry hadn’t done just that.

“We’re just gonna try.” Barry told him, _still_ with hopeful eyes.

He was forced to nod awkwardly and hand Barry the cane. There was a moment – something so quick that if Harrison blinked he would have missed it – where he knew that Barry was going to do it. Allen took the cane in his hand and used it to push himself up. He made it up, shaking like a leaf; so much so that Harrison already had his arms outstretched towards him, hands nearly touching his arms.

He nodded at Harry, made to move his foot…

And collapsed, gasping in pain. He was quick to catch him and put him back in the wheelchair, but the damaged had already been done. Barry was clinging the side of the chair, nearly in agony.

“Allen!”

The yell surprised both of them. When he turned towards The Cortex doorway, he spotted a man he would have never suspected…

Captain David Singh.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

David felt like a coward.

The precinct was quiet; there was no gossip in the air, only hushed whispers. Not only had they lost a co-worker, they had lost one of their own; a detective. The TVs were off, none of them willing to watch what happened to The Flash – _Barry_ over again.

The city may have lost hope in him, but the precinct never once lost their belief in their hero.

Occasionally, some brave detective would hesitantly walk into his office, asking once again about the condition of both Joe and Barry.

And every time, he would only grunt “no update” at the unfortunate person.

But he was a coward. There was no update because David hadn’t _tried._ On his way out of S.T.A.R. Labs, one of the scientists had handed him a piece of paper with his number on it. At first, he had been grateful of him, but he soon realized what a burden it was to have that power.

He didn’t want to hear about how Barry hadn’t walked yet and how Joe was still in a hospital bed. He didn’t want to know how the healing process was going. He just wanted both of them to be in the precinct, safe and sound; one of them with an apologetic smile on his face and the other one working his ass off.

It was finally five o’clock. His shift was over. With a sigh, he got up from his chair, grabbed his things, and left his office. As he was locking the office door, he could feel a million eyes on his back, watching his every move.

Taking a deep breath, he turned and looked at his police force. Each of them looked run down to the ground, little hope in them. They were doing their jobs with half the amount of their normal energy.

And in that moment, David knew what he had to do.

“I’m going to S.T.A.R. Labs now.” He told them sternly, as if he was giving them one of his usual lectures. He needed the normalcy. “I’ll be back in two hours.”

Not willing to stare at them any longer, he began the trek to his car with a million thoughts racing through his head. The most prominent was _Rob._

He frantically fished out his cell phone as soon as he made it to the car. As always, Rob answered on the second ring.

“Hey, honey,” Rob said, his voice like music to his ears. “You alright?”

“I’m heading to S.T.A.R. Labs.” Saying it felt even _worse._ Now there was no backing out.

“David…” Sometimes, David knew Rob better than he knew himself. David knew what food Rob liked (always something healthy, since the man was a doctor), what he liked to wear, how he took his coffee, but right now he felt like _he_ was different. Would Rob be the same if David Singh was a different person?

“Hey, I know you care about Barry. It’ll be good to see him.”

David nodded to himself. “What if he’s not okay?”

Once again, it took Rob a moment to respond. “Then you’ll be there for him.”

David felt his heart stop. “I’m not – I Can’t…” he wasn’t strong enough to be strong for them.

“David, you’re the strongest person I know.” David lips quirked, always happy to know that Rob knew him so well. “You’re a Captain; you’re _my_ hero. Barry and Joe will feel the same, even if you show up just to see how their doing.”

“I love you.” David replied, starting up the car. As always, his husband was right.

“I love you too.” David could hear Rob’s smile. “I’ll see you tonight.”

It took him twenty long minutes to make it to S.T.A.R. Labs, and each one felt like an eternity. He had to do this. He owed it to Barry, Joe, and his police force. He could be a hero.

When he finally made it to the main room, he felt his heart stop. Barry Allen was shaking, his legs nearly buckling underneath him, but he was _standing._ Then… He tried to take a step. _Harrison Wells_ was quick to catch him, but it didn’t stop the heart attack David had.

“Allen!” He yelled, moving towards Wells and Barry, who was hunched over, white as a sheet.

“ _What did you do?”_ He hissed at Wells, pushing Wells violently out of the way and moving in front of Barry, who was still hunched over, breathing shallowly.

“I’m fine.” Allen whispered, clearly _anything_ but fine. “Just took it… Too fast.” The kid paused once again, focusing on his breathing.

“What do you need?” David asked, not entirely sure what to do.

“He _needs_ to go back to his bed.” Wells said, getting up from the ground.

David couldn’t fault logic, and right now he didn’t care _who_ helped Barry, as long as they did. Carefully, David began to slowly move the wheelchair to where he knew the hospital bed was set up, but then he was in the midst of another problem; getting him on the bed.

Without a word, Wells nodded at Barry, who quickly nodded back, then grabbed Allen by the underarms and picked him up, leaving him sitting on the bed. Slowly, Barry lowered himself onto the bed and let Wells moved his legs onto the bed.

“What have you got for the pain?” David asked both Wells and Barry, the latter looking away from him quickly.

“Nothing.” Wells said curtly, sitting down on the chair. Shocked, David turned to look towards his forensic scientist, only to find that he had passed out.

Confused, he turned fully towards Wells. For a moment, he allowed himself to forget his duty as a cop to arrest Wells and let him be what Barry needed, just as Rob had said. “You didn’t give him _anything?”_

“Mr. Allen’s metabolism burns everything up too quickly, even with high dozes, it doesn’t effect him.” For a moment, Wells looked _guilty,_ but it was quickly replaced with a mask of indifference. David filled Wells’ guilt away for future use.

“The kid’s been without pain medication this entire time?” The very idea of it sent chills down his spine. He knew The Flash was a part of a lot of fights. How many times had he been in pain, unable to heal it? Even now, how could the kid deal with it.

“Yes.” Wells replied, looking away, towards a chess game that was laid out.

“Jesus,” David whispered, hoarsely. David looked over from across Barry. Joe looked better, which was something. “How’s he doing?”

Harrison got up from the chair and walked over to one of the cabinets, pulling out a medical bag of something with clear liquid in it. “Dr. Snow says he’ll be back to normal within a month.” Wells began to attach the new bag to Joe’s IV. “They’re both very lucky.”

Lucky. That didn’t sound like quite the right word to use, but David nodded, accepting it. With one last look at Joe and Barry, he moved away from the hospital beds and to the doorway. He had to update the precinct, even if it wasn’t the best news.

“I’ll tell Allen that you were here.” Wells replied, sitting back down in the middle of Barry and Joe.

“Thanks.” David replied curtly, still not sure what he should have done about Wells, a known murderer, taking care of two important people.

With that thought, he turned away from the chaos and walked out the door.

His cell phone was in his hand by the time he made it to his car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmmm? Where are the rest of the gang, you ask? You know, Iris, Cisco, Patty… etc. Idk. It’s been a long three days for them, and they obviously needed some rest… right?
> 
> With the bullcrap excuse, I’m going to try like hell to get them and the precinct’s reactions next chapter. Sounds fair? 
> 
> So, how did I do? I really wanted Barry and David to talk it out, but Barry wasn’t quite ready for that, and neither was I apparently. I think that’ll come later. 
> 
> Once again, thank you to everyone who reviewed, favorite, or read my story. It means a lot to me! Let me know how did this time!

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: So that was depressing. I shed some tears not gonna lie.  
> So, obviously this is kind of an open ending. I could continue on, maybe see who will help Barry with his emotions (not to mention his walking) since Joe is down for the count for a little bit.  
> I could have the Barry and Joe heart to heart about this situation.  
> Also gotta see the reaction Captain Singh and the precinct will have now that the secret is out.  
> Harrison Wells was fun to write. It would be interesting to see him taking on a more proactive role in helping Barry heal from this.  
> So, small complaint to myself, sorry Catlin wasn’t included in this. Just OMG could I not write her. Sorry if that’s anyone’s fav character, but I just COULD NOT understand her motivation for doing what she’s doing. She also has an odd way of dealing with things??? That I just can’t write. Sorry.  
> So, to sum this all up, let me know if you want a sequel! Give me some ideas! I’m not entirely sure where to go with this.  
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
